Darjeeling Effectively OUT of “Smart City” Contention

The Centre has asked the state governments to nominate cities and towns for inclusion under Smart Cities Mission as the first stage of the competition has started.

The Stage-1 of Smart City Challenge competition had started, a senior official of Union Urban Development Ministry, said on Friday.

As per the Operational Guidelines for Smart Cities Mission, released by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015, states have to nominate the assigned number of cities and towns based on four broad criteria and a total of 13 sub-criteria.

Competition entails four broad criteria such as existing service levels in city/town (25 marks out of the total of 100 marks), institutional systems and capacities (15 marks), self-financing (30) and past track record and reforms (30 marks).

Every state government has to evaluate all cities/towns based on these criteria and nominate the top performers as per the number assigned to each state.

As per the weightages given, present status of e-governance and revenue mobilisation and financial strength of urban local bodies dominate the Stage-1 evaluation criteria accounting for 60 of the total 100 marks.

Eight of the total 13 sub-criteria for Smart City project are related to e-governance and financial strength including revenue mobilisation of urban local bodies.

More importantly, any city that is to be nominated , will require to have a mandatory revenue stream of Rs 50 crores per year.

Operational online grievance redressal system, publication of at least first monthly e-newsletter, online display of municipal budget expenditure information for the last two financial years and payment of salaries by urban local body up to last month carry five points each.

Increase in collection of internally generated revenues during the last three years and percentage contribution of internal revenues of urban local body like tax revenue, user charges, extent of establishment and maintenance costs of water supply met through user charges carry 10 marks each.

Given all of these factors, we can safely conclude that Darjeeling won’t make it to the Smart City list. We have an abysmal record of financial prudence. The so called “infrastructure” is almost nonexistent and whatever is passed off as “facilities” does not even exist to begin with. There is ZERO digitization of the municipal governance system, and our institutions are INCAPABLE.

However, given the fact that every other municipality in Bengal is equally corrupt, incompetent and in shambles, there is still a tiny ray of hope that we may even make the 1st round cut. But for that to happen , we need a miracle, and miracles are hard to come by these days.

One hundred smart city nominations received from all the states and Union Territories will be put through Stage-2 of the competition based on an elaborate criteria before funds are released to the top 20 cities and towns during the current financial year.

Sadly, Darjeeling won’t be one amongst those.

[With inputs from PTI, some recent pics we have shared on WHY Darjeeling won’t make it to the list of Smart Cities]

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